The Program will be accepting volunteer applications through September 2017.
Reading Hour supports early childhood literacy across the New River Valley by providing children with exposure to books and reading on a regular basis.
Smart Beginnings of the New River Valley is launching the Reading Hour program for the fall of 2017. Reading Hour is a program that supports children, parents, and childcare centers by providing opportunities for one-on-one reading time every week. By reading to children, Reading Hour volunteers are helping build the strong foundation necessary for success later in life. Reading Hour supports families and childcare centers by providing children with enhanced exposure to books and reading, helping to prepare them for kindergarten and later academic success, and helping to get kids excited about reading.
Interested volunteers should contact Anna Harbom at AHarbom@nrvrc.org or go to www.smartbeginningsnrv.org
Reading Hour is just one initiative of Smart Beginnings New River Valley (NRV), an early childhood systems-building program dedicated to improving kindergarten readiness in the region. Smart Beginnings NRV supports the region by convening area leaders around issues affecting early childhood, collecting and sharing data specific to the New River Valley, and fostering public awareness with the aim of increasing the resources available to early childhood providers.
The links between early childhood and kindergarten readiness, and strong communities and local economies are undeniable; early childhood education is emerging as an issue of major importance to communities across the United States. Children who start kindergarten ready to learn are more likely to perform on grade level by the third grade, and are more likely to graduate high school and enter the workforce as productive and healthy citizens. By following the mantra of “ready schools, ready families, ready communities,” Smart Beginnings is working to ensure the children in the NRV receive the support they need to succeed in school and in life.